Torrington schools attendance policy continues to create confusion

TORRINGTON -- In an attempt to help make the attendance policy fair, some parents and Board of Education members feared that they may have created a boondoggle.

Proposed changes to the Torrington school system's attendance policy were on the agenda for the board's policy committee meeting, but the policy's language and implementation may have created all new headaches. Specifically, one student's particular case has brought the issue to the forefront.

"It's so important," said committee member Paul Cavagnero. "Parents are confused, children are confused. It should be simple and it should be actionable."

The policy proposed by Torrington High School teachers David Ressel and David Capolupo creates two tiers of absences. The first tier consists of absences caused by major medical issues, family emergencies, college visits, field trips, suspension, court dates, religious holidays or other matters in the school. All of these absences would require documentation within 48 hours, while unexcused absences, cutting class, tardiness and family vacations would be considered Level 2.

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Eighteen unexcused, or Level 2, absences over a school year would result in the loss of credit, but as it stands now, one family said the execution of this policy has been severely lacking. Director of Student and Professional Operations Bill Joslin concurred, remarking, "It's not efficient. It hasn't been worked through. But nobody's said it's because of the policy."

Part of the problem is the sprawling bureaucracy involved in the appeals process. Patricia Manson said she had recently tried to contest her daughter's absences, which resulted from illness and a concussion, and was rushed by the Board of Education. Both instances should be covered under major medical incidents, Patricia Manson said, in which case a note should be delivered to the nurse or teacher, or possibly the attendance officer.

"We've created four different layers," said committee member Daniel Thibault.

Cavagnero was not alone in his sentiment that the policy should be streamlined -- Patricia Manson said the policy was buried in the middle of the district's handbook -- but drew criticism for some of his other comments. Michael Manson, Patricia's husband, objected to Cavagnero's assertion that "you have control over college visits," responding that "it's not all apples and oranges."

However, Manson and Cavagnero agreed that the policy must be written clearly and made readily available. Cavagnero suggested pulling the attendance policy out of the handbook and handing it out on a separate sheet.

"I want simple, simple English," said Cavagnero. "The language has got to be user-friendly."

Committee member Andrew Nargi concurred, remarking that the review board should take into consideration that "it's been somewhat demonstrated that policy has been somewhat ambiguous." Nargi did not blame anyone for the failings of the policy as enacted, though.

"Maybe we need to shore up the review board," Nargi said.

Nargi moved to direct the committee and school administration to review the policy, considering that the policy's implementation could be flawed, and found a compatriot on the committee. Ellen Hoehne, the committee's chair, said that the review board should consider that it might not be getting accurate information, and subsequently should "err on the side of the child."

"Sometimes," Michael Manson said, "we have things get enacted, and the practicality of what you're trying to do doesn't come through."

The committee also approved the changes proposed by Ressel and Capolupo, forwarding the new policy to the full Board of Education. Making these revisions, the Mansons said, should avoid unintended consequences such as those that struck their daughter.

"I think the policy's good, but I think the way it was written was not," Patricia Manson said. "I get the general idea, but I don't think it was fair to the kids, I don't think it was fair to the teachers, and I don't think it was fair to anyone."